The former finance minister of Greece is looking for likeminded anti-austerity movements, such as Podemos in Spain, to join forces. He urged its leader Pablo Iglesias not to agree to an austerity policy if the party joins a governing coalition, and said the “draconian measures” imposed on Greece were meant to dissuade people in Spain from voting Podemos.

Varoufakis was finance minister for Greece in the first half of this year, during which tensions peaked between the southern European country and its European creditors over a third bailout package. The flamboyant figure lost support with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in July and was replaced with the current Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos.